As networks evolve and transmission speeds grow, the requirements for network testing tools change as well. There are a variety of technologies available to address the assessment of network performance, as well as the troubleshooting of network problems and the pin-pointing of root causes. Testing products may be classified according to numerous criteria. For example, tools may be directed to the laboratory, for an implemented network, or both. There are software tools, stand alone equipment, simulation tools, and so on.
Such testing tools can provide a range of functions. For example, tools may send different types of packets on a round trip through a network, and examine aspects on their return. Timestamps and sequence numbers are used to determine delay and jitter, among other issues. Such tools may assess whether certain paths between devices are congested or not functional, and the reasons for the problem. Tools may be directed at monitoring remote nodes. The performance of certain networks and devices may be assessed. Quality of Service (QoS) and Service Level Agreements (SLAs) may be monitored. With the growth of Metro Ethernet traffic, network reliability becomes more important as real-time interactive applications (e.g., voice, multimedia) gain a larger share of the market.
There are, however, certain limitations with various tools. For example, there is a very wide range of software tools that may be used on network devices (e.g., routers or switches). However, software based solutions may face a variety of challenges in testing next generation networks. Because they are implemented in software, they may have serious limitations in providing line rate testing at Gigabit speeds. Such solutions may create test traffic congestion and slow processing of other functions performed by the CPU of the network device. Also, there may be inaccurate measurements because of the processing delays (e.g., due to certain buffers, queing, etc.) inherent in a software based tool. Such latency can increase failure response times, and this issue is of increasing relevance because service providers want millisecond resilience in Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) environments.
There is also a range of stand alone equipment and devices that can be attached to or otherwise coupled with the network, or the network devices, to be tested. However, such test equipment can be costly. Moreover, there are space issues to contend with, as well as additional issues related to measurement accuracy. There is, thus, a need in the art for more integrated testing tools that can provide measurement speed and accuracy to meet with today's evolving needs.